U Is for Urbanism

Key Takeaways

Sesame Street directly applied Jane Jacobs' urban planning principles to foster community and education for children.
Jane Jacobs defined four key conditions for vibrant urban blocks: mixed use, short blocks, diverse building ages, and population density.
Playground design is evolving to include "risky play" and address the needs of underserved age groups, particularly teenagers.
Public spaces often neglect teenagers' social and physical needs, creating unwelcoming environments.

The episode examines how the urbanism ideals of Jane Jacobs were realized on "Sesame Street", influencing millions of children.
Journalist Anna Coday notes "Sesame Street" has shaped children's education and the physical built environment for over 50 years.
The show actively promoted positive urbanism and healthy neighborhood concepts through its setting and narratives.

In the late 1960s, New York City faced challenges like crime, leading to negative perceptions and 'white flight' to the suburbs.
A 1968 'Give a Damn' public service campaign featuring children in Harlem gutters inspired the show's urban street setting.
Set designers intentionally included realistic details like trash and soot to create an authentic New York City street scene.
The show aimed to reach inner-city and impoverished children, fostering positive community interaction in a familiar urban environment.

Jane Jacobs' 1961 book, 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities,' became an influential text on urban planning.
Jacobs identified four key conditions for a vibrant city block: multiple functions (mixed-use), short blocks, a mix of old and new buildings, and sufficient population density.
The 1990s redesign of the Sesame Street set incorporated new buildings alongside the original brownstone, reflecting Jacobs' third condition for mixed-age architecture.

Jane Jacobs coined 'sidewalk ballet' to describe the spontaneous, casual interactions among diverse people on a city sidewalk.
This 'ballet' signifies a well-functioning neighborhood, characterized by familiar faces and mutual awareness among residents.
The first episode of "Sesame Street" illustrated this concept through unplanned interactions between characters like Gordon, Sally, Mr. Hooper, and Big Bird.
Jacobs' philosophy, emphasizing cities built by everyone, contrasts with developers like the fictional Ronald Grump, who aimed to replace 123 Sesame Street with a luxury boutique.

Architecture critic Alexandra Lang discusses her work on design and childhood, noting her Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.
Lang's Pulitzer was awarded for her writing on design and childhood, including a series for Bloomberg City Lab about creating family-friendly cities.
She shares a favorite "Sesame Street" moment: a cartoon where a child struggles to remember three items from a store, illustrating the importance of fostering independence in children.

Public space design is often hostile towards teenagers, as spaces are typically for children up to age 12 or adults.
Business owners sometimes express discomfort with teens loitering, fearing it may deter other customers.
The Anna C. Verna Playground in Philadelphia's FDR Park features a 'mega swing' with 20 swings, designed for social and physical engagement among various age groups, including teenagers.

The 'mega swing' at Anna C. Verna Playground appeals to teens due to its less sport-specific physical outlet and nature-toned materials, avoiding overtly childlike aesthetics.
Traditional playground equipment like sandboxes and seesaws have declined due to maintenance and safety concerns.
Newer designs include multi-person swings mimicking seesaw motion and advanced climbing structures like rope ladders and netting, offering safer and more engaging alternatives to traditional jungle gyms.

A concrete slide in Cordonesis Park, built in 1915, is known as 'Concussion Park' due to its fast and 'terrifying' nature, highlighting the tension between risk and play.
'Risky play' is defined as activity involving learning through trial and error, crucial for developing independence and safety skills.
Modern playgrounds aim to push safety boundaries to offer novel experiences, managing inherent risks while fostering development.
An incident where a police officer improperly used a long metal slide outside Boston City Hall was misinterpreted as a design flaw, despite children using it safely.